Quality Assurance Manager
Salary

Quality Assurance Managers in the United States with more than 10 years of experience in their profession represent a little more than half of Quality Assurance Managers. Salaries average out to around $71K per year and spread from $43K to $112K per year. Cash earnings for Quality Assurance Managers — including $13K in bonuses and $10K in profit sharing proceeds near the top of the pay scale — generally stretch from $43K to $112K depending on individual performance. The most influential factor affecting pay for this group is location, though tenure and the individual firm have a (lesser) impact as well. A large number report receiving medical coverage from their employers and a fair number collect dental insurance. Most Quality Assurance Managers report high levels of job satisfaction. The data for this synopsis comes from respondents who took the PayScale salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Quality Assurance Manager

Quality assurance managers are responsible for ensuring that products or services meet established standards. As these products and services vary greatly from industry to industry, so do the specifications of particular quality standards. Generally, quality assurance managers are concerned with maintaining minimum requirements for accessibility, reliability, and performance.

Regardless of their specific area of employment, these managers are primarily concerned with maintaining the efficiency and profitability of their organizations by reducing waste; they must inspect and maintain their products using documented processes and prepare quality data and records to a recognized standard. In many cases, companies are interested in receiving accreditation for officially meeting certain quality standards, and these managers may also help ensure this by developing training staff for audits.

As managers, those in this position also supervise others; they typically oversee teams of inspectors who perform assessments throughout a product's many stages of development. They may also be responsible for hiring and training new team-members.

These managers generally work during traditional business hours in indoor settings. Their work is nonphysical and focuses primarily on data collection, computer usage, and verbal and written communication. They also work regularly with other team-members. Many employers prefer candidates who have a bachelor's degree, and those who also have certifications related to quality assurance may have better prospects. As in-depth knowledge of industry standards is necessary, extensive work experience is highly beneficial for candidates, as well.

Quality Assurance Manager Tasks

Develop and maintain quality assurance standards and processes.

Manage quality improvement activities.

Create common business specific quality measurements and track improvement against these metrics.

Common Career Paths for Quality Assurance Manager

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Quality Assurance Managers who advance into the role of a VP of Quality are fairly uncommon. VPs of Quality on average earn $149K per year. However, it's more common for Quality Assurance Managers to move into roles as Quality Assurance Directors or Quality Managers.

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Popular Skills for Quality Assurance Manager

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Quality Assurance Managers report using a large range of skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Lean Manufacturing, Project Management, Total Quality Management, and Leadership are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 5 percent and 13 percent. Skills that pay less than market rate include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Office. Most people familiar with Quality Assurance / Quality Control also know Leadership and Auditing.

Pay by Experience Level for Quality Assurance Manager

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

More years of relevant experience do not necessarily translate to higher paychecks. Those in the early stages of their career can expect to make around $55K; however, individuals with five to 10 years of experience bring in $70K on average — a distinctly larger sum. Quality Assurance Managers see a median salary of $82K after reaching one to two decades on the job. People who have worked for more than 20 years report a median income no higher than the median for folks with 10 to 20 years of experience.

Pay Difference by Location

San Francisco is home to an above-average pay rate for Quality Assurance Managers, 39 percent higher than the national average. Quality Assurance Managers will also find cushy salaries in Boston (+33 percent), New York (+32 percent), Atlanta (+13 percent), and Austin (+11 percent). The lowest-paying market is Salt Lake City, which sits 7 percent below the national average. Workers in Dallas and Cincinnati earn less than others in this profession; their salaries fall short of the national average by 4 percent.

Quality Assurance Manager Reviews

What is it like working as a Quality Assurance Manager?

Quality Assurance Manager in Lancaster:

"A different challenge every day."

Pros: Gathering and analyzing data in the search of a solution to a problem. Research may be in the form of interviewing, digging into archives of building queries in the companies databases.

Cons: Completing surveys and forms for customers that are often repedative from one year to the next.

Quality Assurance Manager in Madison:

"QA manager."

Pros: I like trying to improve processes.

Cons: Hearing "we've been doing it this way for 20 years, why change now?"